Holder for hosiery or the like



H. P. LUHN HOLDER FOR HOSIERY OR THE LIKE Original Filed Jan. 20, 1936 July 4, 1939.

INVENTOR BY/5km flu/1m ATTO RN EYS Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application January 20, 1936, Serial No. 60,006 Renewed November 17, 1938 4 Claims.

This invention relates to hosiery and particularly to a holder for supporting hosiery to reduce the possibility of damage thereto due to handling after manufacture has been completed.

After the manufacture of hosiery is completed the stockings are finally inspected and paired. Then a number of pairs, usually one or two dozen, are piled on top of each other and folded, by turning the foot and welt portions upon the intermediate portions. The piles of folded hosiery are placed in trays and on arrival at the stockroom are removed and placed in other trays which are placed in racks or the like.

When an order is received piles containing pairs of the desired sizes, styles and colors are removed from the trays, unfolded and the required numbers of pairs removed from each pile, the remainders being refolded and then replaced in their storage trays. The selected pairs are again folded and placed in other trays to be sent to the stamping department. On arrival there the pairs are removed from the trays and again unfolded so that the size, style, trade-mark, dealer or other identifying indicia may be placed upon the toe and/or wlt portion of each stocking. Upon completion of the marking operation the hosiery is again folded and placed in trays to be sent to the packing room. There they are again unfolded, refolded in three to six folds per pair, placed in individual envelopes and boxed, with two, three or six pairs to a box.

On eventual receipt by the retailer some of the order is inspected and all the hosiery must be unboxed, removed from the envelopes and unfolded to permit attachment of price tags, etc. Upon refolding and reboxing the hosiery is sent to the counter where each prospective sale requires unboxing, unfolding and handling to be viewed by the customer. Further, until finally 40 sold each repricing, daily or weekly stock checkup and periodical inventory requires unfolding, counting, refolding, etc.

It is apparent that between completion of manufacture and sale each pair of hosiery is 45 handled, folded and unfolded many times. Each time a pair is folded and unfolded it may be creased in a different place and its nish is impaired. Moreover, each handling subjects the stockings to the risk of being snagged or torn by 50 contact with the hands of the mill operatives,

store workers and clerks and prospective customers.

With the above-mentioned conditions in mind the principal object of the invention is to minimize the multitudinous possibilities of damage to hosiery incident to repeated handlings between completion of manufacture and eventual sale. In carrying out the invention a special holder is provided on which the hosiery may be placed and retained from completion of manufacture until 5 sale, thus eliminating the many folding and unfolding operations heretofore performed.

In the drawing: f.

Figure l is a perspective view showing hosiery mounted on the holder of the present invention; l0

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 illustrating the manner in which the hosiery is disposed on a hanger and locking member which together constitute the holder;

Figure 3 is a plan view illustrating the shape of the hanger and locking member; and

Figures 4 to 6 are fragmentary perspective views showing several ways of securing the hanger and locking member together.

Referring to the drawing, the hosiery holder of the present invention consists essentially of a pair of substantially rectangular members I0, I I which will be referred to herein as a hanger and a locking member, respectively. These members 25 have parallel upper and lower edges which are similarly spaced so that when the locking member I I is placed over the hanger ID these edges are in registration. The hanger, and in some cases the locking member also, has laterally projecting 30 ears I2 at its upper edge which are notched for engagement with a pair of parallel supporting members I3, I4.

In using the holder the hanger I0 is held Ver.L tically and a pair of stockings is draped there- 35 over so that a surface portion of the hosiery between its ends engages the upper edge I5 and adjacent portions b, c overlie the front and back faces of the hanger with the foot and welt, or end, portions d, e of the hosiery depending freely below the lower edge I6 of the hanger. The hosiery is preferably draped on the hanger so that hosiery portions of equal length extend below its lower edge. The locking member II is placed against the hosiery portions that overlie one face of the hanger with its upper and lower edges, and also its ears I2 if provided, in registration with those of the hanger. When the welt end e of the hosiery is disposed at the front of hanger I0 the locking member II is preferably disposed opposite the back face of the hanger. The hanger and locking member are then rotated as a unit about a longitudinal axis to wind part of the depending hosiery portion d, e about the hanger and the locking member so that the hosiery extends in a plurality of layers f about the hanger and locking member as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The association of the locking member II with hanger Ill permits part of the freely depending portions of the hosiery draped thereon to be wound upon the holder by simply rotating the latter. Inasmuch as the upper and lower edges I5, I6 of the hanger are parallel, and those of the locking member register therewith, the hosiery may be evenly wound upon the holder. The confinement of the locking member II between an outer hosiery layer f and the hanger I prevents removal of the hosiery from the hanger byV pulling on the end portions of the hosiery.

The ears I2 in addition to providing means for supporting the holder on the rack members I3, I4 prevent the hosiery being slid sidewise off the holder, The edges II of the notches in ears I2 that engage members I3, III are preferably located above the upper edge I5 of the hanger with the result that the center of gravity is shifted in such manner that the depending portions of the hosiery hang substantially vertically.

Preferably, the hosiery is retained on the holder by a continuous band I8 extending over its side edges and retained in place by engagement with shoulders at the ends of notches on the side edges of the hanger and locking member.

In the forms shown in Figure 4 the hanger and locking member are integrally hinged at along one side edge and in Figure 5 along the upper edge portions thereof, as at .2l on the ears I2. In Figure 6 an eyelet 22 pivotally connects the locking member II to the hanger III. The hanger III and member II may also be held together by clip fasteners or by elastic bands engaged in the notches 23.

The hosiery holder of the present invention makes it possible to eliminate the many folding and unfolding operations and unnecessary contacts by the hands of mill and store operatives, clerks and customers incidental to repeated handling of the hosiery as discussed above.

When manufacture is completed and the hosiery inspected and paired, each pair may be placed upon an individual holder and the latter mounted upon a rack support I3, I. The ears I2 may bear indicia relating to the size, color, style, etc., of the hosiery and thus serve as index tabs when the rack supports I3, lf3 are stored in suitable frames or cabinets in the stockroom. Upon receipt of an order the required numbers of pairs of hosiery may be removed with their holders from the racks and taken to the stamping room on other racks. With the supporting rack I3, I4 mounted adjacent a working surface 24 the required markings may be placed upon the foot and Welt portions of the hosiery without removing the latter from their holders.

The hosiery may be shipped on their holders, boxed if desired, to the retailers and there price tags may be applied also without removal from the hangers. Likewise the hosiery may be retained on the holders and kept on racks at the counters for` display to customers who may readily inspect the stocking portions which they ordinarily wish to examine. Unnecessary contact with the hosiery fabric is also eliminated when checking stock, repricing or making inventories. If desired the hosiery may be sold to the customers on the holders which could then be used to hold the hosiery when not being worn.

As shown in the drawing the hanger and locking member are in the form of cards of suitable material. However, if desired, they may be formed of wire or thelike bent to the outline shown.

Although specific embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail herein there are many changes and variations that may be made without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is desired and intended to include all such changes and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A holder for hosiery or the like comprising a substantially rectangular hanger member formed of sheet material and having parallel upper and lower edges, a similarly-shaped locking member, supporting ears projecting outwardly and upwardly from the upper corners of the hanger member, and means for retaining the hanger and locking members with their upper and lower edges in alignment.

2. The holder set forth in claim 1 in which the supporting ears are hook shaped.

3. The holder set forth in claim 1 in which the locking member includes supporting ears projecting outwardly and upwardly from the upper corners thereof.

4.. 'Ihe holder set forth in claim 1 in which the hanger and the locking member consist of a folded single piece of sheet material.

HANS P. LUI-IN. 

